Permits

You must apply for a residence permit if you plan to study in Finland for longer than three months. EU citizens, citizens of the Nordic countries, Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not need a residence permit.

Finnish Immigration Service (MIGRI)

Residence permits are issued by the Finnish Immigration Service MIGRI. You must submit your residence permit application to a Finnish embassy in the country of your legal residence.

• Notice of MIGRI to degree students
• Notice of MIGRI to exchange students
• Information about the income level requirement
• MIGRI's website
• Finnish embassies

Important information about residence permit

Don’t be late from your first semester - start applying for your residence permit as soon as possible before the peak time in July-August.

We recommend that you initiate your application for residence permit at MIGRI’s e-service. This will speed up the processing of your application and you can later access the results of your application online. In addition, you have to visit a Finnish embassy in person to submit your application.

The most common reason for rejecting a residence permit application is the lack of funding. You have to have 560 € per month (6720 € per year) on your bank account for the residence permit. Please note that the living expenses in Helsinki are much higher (700-1000€ per month).

The University reports to MIGRI about admitted student who do not show up and start their studies. MIGRI will contact the students about possible cancellation of the residence permit.

Residence permits for students are normally valid for one year from the issue date: the date of expiration is printed on the permit. If you are studying for several years, a new residence permit is required for each year.

Updated May 15, 2013